UT football: Brown calls his situation ‘unimportant’

AUSTIN — Although speculation about his coaching future continues to rage heading into Texas’ regular-season finale at Baylor on Saturday, Longhorns coach Mack Brown said Wednesday he hasn’t addressed any of the rumors with his players.

“I’m very unimportant and I absolutely have not mentioned it,” Brown said.

Brown said he acknowledged some of the speculation with his assistant coaches after a 44-23 loss to Mississippi on Sept. 14, but his message at the time was to keep working and to focus on winning a Big 12 championship. The Longhorns won their next six games, and Brown said he never mentioned it again.

Brown is expected to meet with school president Bill Powers and new athletic director Steve Patterson after the regular season to discuss the next step for the Longhorns, who have a chance to win at least a share of a conference title by beating Baylor on Saturday.

That conversation might take place early next week. Brown, Patterson, Powers and former athletic director DeLoss Dodds all are scheduled to be in New York from Sunday to Tuesday for National Football Foundation festivities, including the induction of former UT standout Jerry Gray into college football’s Hall of Fame.